Get Ready, Go Tiny

So, you want to go tiny?! You've come to the right place.

Whether you are ready to buy or you are just getting started, you are probably aware that there is a lot you need to know in order to make the transition to the tiny life and to find the perfect tiny house for you.

In this How-To guide, we will discuss how to make your tiny house dreams a reality.

Traveling with your tiny house

How to finance your tiny house

The dreaded tiny house "gray zone"

Sourcing your trailer

Tiny house building timeline

Moving into your tiny house

Tiny house homeownership

The first lesson in tiny house planning and tiny home-ownership is to do your due diligence. It is 100% your responsibility to know everything there is to know about your future tiny house and to make sure you can handle all tiny house ownership responsibilities before investing in a tiny house. Remember that tiny houses today are almost never legal, so you will have to be comfortable accepting the gray zone into your life.

But how to navigate the many potential designs and functions of a tiny house? Where does one get started?

Here are the top 3 questions to ask yourself at the beginning of your journey:

Do you plan on parking your house in one permanent or mostly permanent location, or would you like the ability to stay mobile and travel frequently?

Will you have access to grid-tied utilities at your parking location or do you need off-grid solutions?

How much can of an investment can you make in your tiny house? This includes not only a financial investment but also what kind of an investment of your own time can you make?

Once you have answered these questions for yourself, it’s time to start planning! You have a few options on how to get your tiny house built:

You can design and build your tiny house on your own with help from pre-made plans and the internet.

Make sure any plans you purchase and use to build your tiny house are vetted by an engineer. Don't forget to make sure utility systems and desired tiny house functionality jive with the pre-set plans. This will probably take the most time unless you have a full work week to dedicate to your project and lots of experience. But the benefits of putting your own bloodsweat into creating a truly unique dwelling might be worth your effort.

You can hire Tiny House Crafters to draft custom building plans that you can use to DIY your own tiny house.

Tiny House Crafters can create building plans done to any level of completion, from simple framing plans all the way to step-by-step interior finishing plans. Contact us for more details. Hiring professionals to walk you through the important steps like attaching your frame to the trailer and advising you on utility designs might be worth the investment. We won't let you forget to vent and we have years of experience on all levels of build complexities. Ensure a custom design that actually works!

You can search online tiny house real estate listings to find a pre-built or used tiny house or tiny house shell that is ready to buy as-is.

Does the tiny house you would like to buy match your answers to the three questions above? Our favorite place to browse tiny houses for sale is tinyhouselistings.com. Need a tiny house fast? Willing to make a few compromises to stay on budget and start living the dream today? This is probably the option for you. While you can never really know what quality of a tiny house you are getting if you buy used or don't know what's behind the wall material, the good news is that with a little elbow grease and an adventurous spirit, a hale soul can make anything work.

You can purchase a brand new tiny house or tiny house shell from reputable builders who offer set model pricing and options.

You may not be able to modify these models to your specific parking and utility needs or to match your creative desired. However, this will likely be more affordable than purchasing a brand new, custom model and you can rest easy knowing that a professional built it. Most professional builders have reasonable turnaround times that can get you into a tiny house within a year. But waitlists are definitely a thing, so if you know you want a tiny house built for you and you need to move in fast, get in touch with a builder today!

You can hire Tiny House Crafters to build a custom shell that is completed on the exterior and unfinished on the interior so you can finish the project yourself on your own time.

This is a great option for DIY-ers who want to save a bit of money and have a major role in their tiny build, but do not want to compromise on the integrity of the tiny house foundation or exterior structure. We will ensure an air and water sealed exterior shell that is immediately ready for you to start working on. The beauty of a finished exterior shell is it can take a break on the sidelines for a bit without worrying about your investment, you know, in the off-chance that life gets away from you for a while!

Or you can hire Tiny House Crafters to help you design and build a completely custom, turn-key tiny house that is ready for move in.

Let us help you navigate the murky waters of designing and building a tiny house with our one-on-one consulting services. If you want a tiny house that you are sure will pass the test of time and is worth the investment, hire professional builders. Enjoy the creative process of your build by working alongside Anderson and Kate as they build your tiny house from the trailer up.

Which option would be the best for you?

Stay tuned for Part 1 of Get Ready, Go Tiny: Parking!

Hi, I'm Kate and this is my Tiny House blog! For more than five years, my partner, Anderson, and I have been learning how to build tiny houses for the New England climate. Through much trial and error and of course, our wonderful clients, we have learned many building tips and tricks for designing utility systems and staying warm and dry all winter long. If you are looking to design and build a tiny house, please stick around!